Author's note: Sorry about the shortness of the last chapter!!! This is probably going to be either the last or the second-last chapter. So there IS still time to get on my good list by reviewing before I finish the story. ; )
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine cept for the stuff you don't recognize which is mine. That soooo doesn't make sense. Ah well. Who cares?
An anguished blonde ran through the hallways, tears streaming down her pale brown cheeks. She ran all the way to the Gryfinndor common room entrance, at which she just broke down and sobbed. She slipped, sub-consciously, to the ground and hid her face in her hands. Had it not been for two forth year boys on their way to the common room, who helped her up and managed to understand that she was looking for Lily, she would have been there all night.
Her elder, poised, cousin appeared at the portrait hole, laughing, no doubt at one of Sirius' awful jokes, her auburn hair curling wildly around her face. On seeing her broken-hearted cousin she discontinued her irrepressible laughter and immediately rushed to the younger girl's side.
"Shan, honey, what's wrong?" she interrogated, putting a comforting arm around the other girl.
"He…he…he," Shannon stuttered, her shoulders heaving from the gasping sobs emerging from her.
"He what?" Lily prompted, pulling a tissue out of her pocket and holding it up to Shannon's nose. "Blow," she directed. Shannon did so before continuing her speech.
"He broke up with me," she choked out, before crying louder and harder than ever before. Lily's mouth opened and closed, making her look a bit like a fish, as she searched for something to say.
"He what now?" she asked, dryly, swallowing nervously.
"He broke up with me," repeated Shannon, a bit more clearly. Lily gulped for breath.
"He broke UP with you? Why, um, what I mean is why?!" she demanded, seeming rather flustered. If Shannon noticed her strange manner she didn't say anything.
"I don't know. He doesn't love me anymore and he wants to see other people because he feels like we're just not suited which is rubbish because he himself said to me so many times how perfect we are, sorry WERE, together……" Shannon trailed off after a long bout of incoherent rambling on her part. There was a long, uneasy silence, in which Lily fumbled for some thing to say.
"I'm so sorry, Shan," was what eventually came out of her mouth, as she hugged her cousin. She patted her back, awkwardly, as the poor girl wept on her shoulder. "It'll be ok." Lily whispered all the usual things, which were meant to be a source of comfort, but somehow only made Shannon cry harder. "It really will be ok, Shannon," Lily assured, holding the girl at arm's length. "You'll find someone new. Someone who really deserves you and you'll feel special and everything you do will be special in a whole new way."
"Don't you understand, Lily?" Shannon asked, briefly stopping her tears. "I DID feel special and everything I did was special…because I did it with James. I love him so much, Lily, even now and to be honest I don't know if I can live without him." And with that her howling started up again and she slipped to the ground, not realizing it was happening.
James lay on his bed, wearing nothing more than a blue t-shirt and his boxer shorts. He twirled a couple of strands of shiny blond hair between his index finger and his thumb. He could remember the exact day Shannon had given it to him, the exact minute. He could remember the exact second for crying out loud! It was the summer of their one-year anniversary. Shannon was staying with her aunt and cousins (Lily) in Texas for the summer so he wouldn't be able to see her at all. It had been a gorgeously sunny day, one of the last of the year, and James and Shannon were sprawled out by the lake. Her head was resting on his stomach and his hand was gently stroking her tanned stomach.
"You know I'm gonna miss you so much," James had told her.
"Really?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbow. He had nodded. "Well then we'll have to do something about that," she had said, smiling. "I have an idea." She leaned over to kiss him before scrambling up and conjuring a scissors. With that she snipped a chunk of her hair off, before James could even question what she was going to do. She handed him the golden wisp with a cheery: "So you can always look at it and think of me!" to go with it. She leaned in to kiss him and it was then, right then, when time stood still and James suddenly realized just how in love with Shannon he was. He would never forget it. Never ever. Not even if he lived to be a thousand he would always remember how he felt at that exact moment and how fabulous it felt, as if he could do or take on anyone or anything as long as he had Shannon by his side.
At that exact moment Shannon was, also, sitting on her bed. In front of her was a prodigious amount of photos. She sifted through them, pausing only every so often to examine one in closer detail: The one of her and James at that party at his house. They were sitting on a couch, his arm, draped around her. She was facing him, laughing as he rambled on about his annoying younger sister, Amy, waving his glass in the air. The one she had taken of James in Diagon Alley. It had always been one of her favorites. He was wearing a light blue shirt and jeans and was waving happily, as he ran to greet her, meeting up with her for the first time in nearly three weeks. She had whipped out her camera and snapped it before he had time to protest.
Shannon let a single tear drip onto the pile of photos as she looked at the photo of James and Sirius, doubled up laughing. Snape was in the background, wearing something that looked suspiciously like a frilly pink party dress and bonnet and was shrieking in outrage. What have you done to me James? She asked silently.
Lily slammed open the door of the 5th year boys dormitory, stormed in and banged it closed behind her again.
"James?" she called before pulling open the draping of his bed. He was lying on his bed, looking at a photo of him and Shannon, holding hands as they strolled around the lake. Shannon's hand was in mid-air, illustrating a point. Lily's anger subsided as quickly as it had built up. She perched herself on the bed, next to him.
"Hi Lily," he said. There was no emotion in his voice. None whatsoever. It was as if someone had sucked him dry of his feelings. His voice was dry.
"James," she said weakly. "Why did you break up with Shannon? James sat up to face her. He took her hand and she didn't let go.
"Lily," he said. "You have to understand. "No matter how much I loved her, and I truly, truly did, I just don't feel that buzz between us now. I don't know what happened but it's just not there. I could have stayed with her, it probably would have been easier because I care about her so much but I couldn't. I would have been living a lie. I mean why settle for second best when…" He stopped when lily put her finger to his lips.
"Shhhhh," she said, in an undertone. "I understand. I truly do, James, and I respect your decision." She stood up and James stood as well. His hands trailed down to her waist and they stood like that for several moments before James leaned down and kissed Lily, tenderly, on the lips. She kissed him back, just as softly, before pulling away. "Not now James," she whispered. "It's just too soon. It would break Shannon's heart." He nodded.
"I understand," he told her. "I'll still be here whenever you feel is right, Lily," he said. She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat, not wanting to let go of him. One thing was for sure: she had never felt like this about anyone. She turned to leave, spotting Shannon's lock of hair on the table by his bed along with a photo of her in her favourite denim mini skirt and a skimpy red t-shirt, hands tucked into her back pocket. It WAS too soon and not only for her and Shannon but for him too. He obviously wasn't over Shannon quite yet either, whether he was aware of it or not, and Lily couldn't blame him. They had been together for four years and he would find it hard to get over his ex girlfriend no matter how he said he felt.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine cept for the stuff you don't recognize which is mine. That soooo doesn't make sense. Ah well. Who cares?
An anguished blonde ran through the hallways, tears streaming down her pale brown cheeks. She ran all the way to the Gryfinndor common room entrance, at which she just broke down and sobbed. She slipped, sub-consciously, to the ground and hid her face in her hands. Had it not been for two forth year boys on their way to the common room, who helped her up and managed to understand that she was looking for Lily, she would have been there all night.
Her elder, poised, cousin appeared at the portrait hole, laughing, no doubt at one of Sirius' awful jokes, her auburn hair curling wildly around her face. On seeing her broken-hearted cousin she discontinued her irrepressible laughter and immediately rushed to the younger girl's side.
"Shan, honey, what's wrong?" she interrogated, putting a comforting arm around the other girl.
"He…he…he," Shannon stuttered, her shoulders heaving from the gasping sobs emerging from her.
"He what?" Lily prompted, pulling a tissue out of her pocket and holding it up to Shannon's nose. "Blow," she directed. Shannon did so before continuing her speech.
"He broke up with me," she choked out, before crying louder and harder than ever before. Lily's mouth opened and closed, making her look a bit like a fish, as she searched for something to say.
"He what now?" she asked, dryly, swallowing nervously.
"He broke up with me," repeated Shannon, a bit more clearly. Lily gulped for breath.
"He broke UP with you? Why, um, what I mean is why?!" she demanded, seeming rather flustered. If Shannon noticed her strange manner she didn't say anything.
"I don't know. He doesn't love me anymore and he wants to see other people because he feels like we're just not suited which is rubbish because he himself said to me so many times how perfect we are, sorry WERE, together……" Shannon trailed off after a long bout of incoherent rambling on her part. There was a long, uneasy silence, in which Lily fumbled for some thing to say.
"I'm so sorry, Shan," was what eventually came out of her mouth, as she hugged her cousin. She patted her back, awkwardly, as the poor girl wept on her shoulder. "It'll be ok." Lily whispered all the usual things, which were meant to be a source of comfort, but somehow only made Shannon cry harder. "It really will be ok, Shannon," Lily assured, holding the girl at arm's length. "You'll find someone new. Someone who really deserves you and you'll feel special and everything you do will be special in a whole new way."
"Don't you understand, Lily?" Shannon asked, briefly stopping her tears. "I DID feel special and everything I did was special…because I did it with James. I love him so much, Lily, even now and to be honest I don't know if I can live without him." And with that her howling started up again and she slipped to the ground, not realizing it was happening.
James lay on his bed, wearing nothing more than a blue t-shirt and his boxer shorts. He twirled a couple of strands of shiny blond hair between his index finger and his thumb. He could remember the exact day Shannon had given it to him, the exact minute. He could remember the exact second for crying out loud! It was the summer of their one-year anniversary. Shannon was staying with her aunt and cousins (Lily) in Texas for the summer so he wouldn't be able to see her at all. It had been a gorgeously sunny day, one of the last of the year, and James and Shannon were sprawled out by the lake. Her head was resting on his stomach and his hand was gently stroking her tanned stomach.
"You know I'm gonna miss you so much," James had told her.
"Really?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbow. He had nodded. "Well then we'll have to do something about that," she had said, smiling. "I have an idea." She leaned over to kiss him before scrambling up and conjuring a scissors. With that she snipped a chunk of her hair off, before James could even question what she was going to do. She handed him the golden wisp with a cheery: "So you can always look at it and think of me!" to go with it. She leaned in to kiss him and it was then, right then, when time stood still and James suddenly realized just how in love with Shannon he was. He would never forget it. Never ever. Not even if he lived to be a thousand he would always remember how he felt at that exact moment and how fabulous it felt, as if he could do or take on anyone or anything as long as he had Shannon by his side.
At that exact moment Shannon was, also, sitting on her bed. In front of her was a prodigious amount of photos. She sifted through them, pausing only every so often to examine one in closer detail: The one of her and James at that party at his house. They were sitting on a couch, his arm, draped around her. She was facing him, laughing as he rambled on about his annoying younger sister, Amy, waving his glass in the air. The one she had taken of James in Diagon Alley. It had always been one of her favorites. He was wearing a light blue shirt and jeans and was waving happily, as he ran to greet her, meeting up with her for the first time in nearly three weeks. She had whipped out her camera and snapped it before he had time to protest.
Shannon let a single tear drip onto the pile of photos as she looked at the photo of James and Sirius, doubled up laughing. Snape was in the background, wearing something that looked suspiciously like a frilly pink party dress and bonnet and was shrieking in outrage. What have you done to me James? She asked silently.
Lily slammed open the door of the 5th year boys dormitory, stormed in and banged it closed behind her again.
"James?" she called before pulling open the draping of his bed. He was lying on his bed, looking at a photo of him and Shannon, holding hands as they strolled around the lake. Shannon's hand was in mid-air, illustrating a point. Lily's anger subsided as quickly as it had built up. She perched herself on the bed, next to him.
"Hi Lily," he said. There was no emotion in his voice. None whatsoever. It was as if someone had sucked him dry of his feelings. His voice was dry.
"James," she said weakly. "Why did you break up with Shannon? James sat up to face her. He took her hand and she didn't let go.
"Lily," he said. "You have to understand. "No matter how much I loved her, and I truly, truly did, I just don't feel that buzz between us now. I don't know what happened but it's just not there. I could have stayed with her, it probably would have been easier because I care about her so much but I couldn't. I would have been living a lie. I mean why settle for second best when…" He stopped when lily put her finger to his lips.
"Shhhhh," she said, in an undertone. "I understand. I truly do, James, and I respect your decision." She stood up and James stood as well. His hands trailed down to her waist and they stood like that for several moments before James leaned down and kissed Lily, tenderly, on the lips. She kissed him back, just as softly, before pulling away. "Not now James," she whispered. "It's just too soon. It would break Shannon's heart." He nodded.
"I understand," he told her. "I'll still be here whenever you feel is right, Lily," he said. She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat, not wanting to let go of him. One thing was for sure: she had never felt like this about anyone. She turned to leave, spotting Shannon's lock of hair on the table by his bed along with a photo of her in her favourite denim mini skirt and a skimpy red t-shirt, hands tucked into her back pocket. It WAS too soon and not only for her and Shannon but for him too. He obviously wasn't over Shannon quite yet either, whether he was aware of it or not, and Lily couldn't blame him. They had been together for four years and he would find it hard to get over his ex girlfriend no matter how he said he felt.